2015 Ram 3500 Engine Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 RAM 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, WHITE SMOKE STARTED TO EMERGE FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO LOOSE POWER. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AT APPROXIMATE 10 MPH, THEY DETERMINED THAT THE DIESEL PARTICULATE FILTER HAD BLOWN INSIDE THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,143. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

CONSISTENTLY GETTING A P00AF ENGINE CODE. PERTAINS TO THE TURBO BOOST ACTUATOR. APPARENTLY THIS HAS BECOME A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MANY OF THE RAM 6.7L CUMMINS ENGINES. THIS CAN LEAD TO POOR ENGINE PERFORMANCE AND EVENTUALLY CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. CURRENTLY THE REPAIR COST JUST FOR THE ACTUATOR THROUGH MOPAR IS $3000. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A RECURRING ISSUE WITH THESE TRUCKS, AT A SUBSTANTIAL COST TO THE CONSUMER. I BEGAN NOTICING THAT MY ENGINE BRAKE WOULD NOT ENGAGE WHEN DESCENDING GRADES, AND THEN I STARTED GETTING AN INTERMITTENT ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON, NOW IT COMES ON ALL THE TIME. I HAD A LOCAL PARTS STORE LOOK UP THE ENGINE CODE FOR ME AND IT LOGGED A P00AF CONDITION. I GOOGLED THE INFORMATION AND REALIZED THAT THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE THAT COULD BECOME A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR IF NOT ADDRESSED IN A TIMELY MANNER. IN MY OPINION, A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED FOR THIS.

MY DODGE RAM TRUCK WAS THE SUBJECT OF THREE SAFETY RECALLS, TWO OF WHICH WERE COMPLETED DECEMBER 12, 2018. A THIRD SAFETY RECALL, T25/NHTSA 17V-302, THAT, AT THE TIME OF MY FIRE INCIDENT, HAD NOT BEEN APPROVED BY CHRYSLER FOR THE WORK TO BE DONE. THE TWO SAFETY RECALLS WERE COMPLETED BY A DEALER APPROXIMATELY 80 MILES AWAY FROM MY HOME. ON THE DAY AFTER PICKING UP MY TRUCK, THE TRUCK'S ENGINE COMPARTMENT HAD A FIRE DURING MY 1-MILE DRIVE HOME FROM WORK. I OBSERVED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, TURNED OFF THE MOTOR, OPENED THE HOOD AND OBSERVED FLAMES. MY LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO THE SCENE, BUT I HAD ALREADY EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. I NOTIFIED CHRYSLER AND THEY SUBSEQUENTLY DISPATCHED AN INVESTIGATOR TO MY HOME TO CONDUCT AN EVALUATION. ON JANUARY 3, 2018, THE INVESTIGATOR MET WITH ME AND PHOTOGRAPHED MY DAMAGED ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE INVESTIGATOR HAD EARLIER INFORMED ME THAT CHRYSLER WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE TOW TO A DEALERSHIP WHERE A PROPER EVALUATION COULD TAKE PLACE. THE SAFETY RECALL INDICATED THAT, FOR MY MODEL AND YEAR OF TRUCK, THE WATER PUMP COULD FAIL AND "MAY" CAUSE A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. TODAY, JANUARY 19, 2018, I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FIAT CHRYSLER AUTOMOBILES INFORMING ME THAT AFTER THEIR INSPECTION OF MY VEHICLE, "THE INFORMATION AT HAND WOULD NOT PERMIT US TO ASSOCIATE THE FIRE WITH A MANUFACTURING OR ASSEMBLY ERROR..." THEIR EVALUATION PROCEDURE WAS HAPHAZARD, AT BEST, AND HANDLED IN A VERY POOR MANNER. I ASKED THE EVALUATOR ABOUT HIS PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND, AND HE WAS NOT AN ENGINEER, OR A MECHANIC. HE SIMPLY OBTAINED PHOTOGRAPHS FOR HIS REPORT. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW CHRYSLER COULD MAKE A REASONED DECISION IN THIS MATTER WITHOUT A PROPER EVALUATION BY A TRAINED ENGINEER OR MECHANIC. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. *BF *TR

IF YOU LET UP ON THE THROTTLE FOR A TRAFFIC ISSUE AND PRESS IT BACK DOWN QUICKLY THE THROTTLE RESPONSE GOES DEAD FOR 1-2 SECONDS. THIS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE IN LEFT TURNS AND/OR MERGING INTO TRAFFIC. AKA DEAD PEDAL, WHICH IS WELL DOCUMENTED ON INTERNET SITES ASSOCIATED WITH RAM DIESEL PICKUPS.

MANUFACTURERS FAILED TO REMEDY A RECALL FOR THE WATER PUMP IN A TIMELY MANNER.

THERE IS A DEFINITE DELAY IN ACCELERATION WHEN PULLING OUT IN TRAFFIC. SOMETIMES 2 OR 3 SECONDS OR MORE. ALSO WHEN DRIVING IN TRAFFIC IF YOU LET UP ON THE ACCELERATOR AND THEN RESUME ACCELERATING IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE THE VEHICLE STALLS. VERY DANGEROUS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 RAM 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START WITH SEVERAL UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE BATTERY CABLES WERE DISCONNECTED AND RECONNECTED AND THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE PCM FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V475000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE FAILURE HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 RAM 3500. WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (COAST AUTO CENTER INC. 530 CHETCO AVE, BROOKINGS, OR 97415) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE DEGRADATION OF THE SELECTIVE CATALYTIC REDUCTION SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER STATED THAT DODGE HAD NOT YET MANUFACTURED THE PART. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE CONTACT COULD TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER EVERYDAY TO HAVE IT CHECKED, BUT OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 RAM 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL EXHAUST ODOR ENTERING THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LAKESHORE CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE JEEP RAM FIAT LOCATED AT 330 E HOWZE BEACH RD, SLIDELL, LA 70461, (985) 641-9595, AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THERE WAS A THREE WEEK BACK LOG TO HAVE THE VEHICLE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED OR NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

TRUCK HAS A BAD HESITATION WHEN RUNNING SLOW AND LETTING OFF THE GAS PEDAL AND BACK IN THE GAS. FOR EXAMPLE COMING TO A YIELD SIGN SLOWING DOWN AND THEN PRESSING THE GAS PETAL.....2-3 SECOND DELAY BEFORE TRUCK STARTS GOING.

MOTOR GONE AND DON'T HAVE KNOW REPLACEMENT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 RAM 3500. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, SMOKE APPEARED UNDER THE HOOD AND THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER, LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD, AND NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS ON FIRE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR BURNS THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE MOTOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,900. ..UPDATED 06/08/16 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE RADIO, TRANSMISSION, CATALYTIC CONVERTER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND INTERIOR LIGHTING. UPDATED 06/29/16.*JB